Blog:Ardbeg's US$16,000 camping trip

News reaches us today of what has been heralded as the "world's most daring whisky challenge". The Ultimate Ardbeg ARDventurer has been launched this week with an inaugural three-day camping trip. It is described as an "extraordinary odyssey into essential Islay".

Participants start their "odyssey" with an "arduous trek" to Ardbeg's water source, Loch Uigeadail. I wouldn't go so far as to call it arduous - I remember walking up to the loch from the distillery three years ago... the day after running the island's half marathon.

Next up - rowing the casks along the coast - that could be tricky. Islay's coast line is just about the dictionary definition of "rugged". You also have to dig 64kg of peat and cook on an open fire. You get a 12kg ration pack, which will get much lighter once you have consumed some of the Ardbeg 10-year-old within.